Our Perfect World
by gibbonsarenotmonkeys
Summary: The Avatar saved the world, but its inhabitants wouldn't let it stay saved. With Avatar Aang dead and the rightful rulers of each nation removed from power, how will the world get its balance back this time around?


Everyone knows the story. Thirty years ago, the Avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai and put Prince Zuko on the throne, who turned out to be a wise and benevolent ruler. Together, they were able to create peace between the nations, restore balance to the world, and everyone lived happily ever after.

Yeah, right. Only in a perfect world, right?

Things looked great for a while, it was true, but that was only on the surface. In actuality, the tensions that had formed during a hundred years of war never really cooled down; if anything, they got worse.

There were people in all three nations who weren't pleased by the outcome of the war: children and adults from the Fire Nation who still believed it was their right, nay, their duty, to rule; disgruntled patriots of the Earth Country who wanted to see the Fire Nation pay reparations for the damage done to their cities and people during the war; and angry citizens of the Water Tribe who wanted justice for comrades and family members lost to the war.

As the years went on, the voices of these disgruntled few quieted, and their rulers thought they had let go of their old grudges, and were accepting the new order of things.

Only in a perfect world.

They banded together in secret, and formed coalitions to resist the new order. For a long time they remained separate, each seeking only their own ends, but eventually, all three groups formed an unsteady alliance, always suspicious and paranoid of one another, but formidable nonetheless. The groups were composed of ordinary citizens, soldiers, and benders alike; any who were displeased with the new status quo joined up.

The rulers never even saw it coming. They struck in unison, on a night no more than a few years ago, attacking the heads of each nation, and the Avatar. The truly surprising thing was that they succeeded. Each nation's ruler lay dead, and the Avatar's body was strung up. Anarchy descended on each of the nations, before the rebels moved to place themselves in power; they seized the thrones and managed to get each nation under their control. Then they turned on each other.

Now that they had the power, the rebels saw no need to remain united. A new war broke out, but this was a free-for-all; even the Earth Country and the Water Tribes were no longer allied. For years, chaos prevailed.

All three nations search for the new Avatar, a baby boy born in the Water Tribes and whisked away shortly thereafter. Some wish him dead; others simply wish him to be on their side. Others still hope he will be able to restore order to what's left of the world.

I fit into the third group. My name is Aaya, and my father was Avatar Aang. I was there on the night he and my mother were murdered, and with my little brother, I ran to the Water Tribes for help. I was there when the new Avatar was discovered, and then when they came to take him, I fought them. My brother and I escaped with the infant Avatar, and we've been on the run ever since, hiding our identities and trying to find a way to live in peace.

We haven't found one yet.

But all hope is not lost; just as rebels found a way to form in the growing peace, so too have they risen to fight the impending chaos. The true Prince of the Fire Nation, Zen, leads those youth of the Fire Nation who wish to fight against the tyranny of their new lord, and their acts have drawn notice.

It's not enough. We need more rebels, we need more people brave enough to fight against their new leaders, who would have them fight for nothing but chaos.

The Avatar is ten years old now. I've taught him water-bending, and my brother is teaching him to air-bend. We've survived this long, and now it's our turn to fight. He's young, but I'll protect him with my life if I have to. We'll find the people who will fight; we'll find a way to survive.

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**A/U: Not sure if I'm going to do anything with this...it's an idea I've had bouncing around in my head for a while now. Really, it's just me being a pessimist and saying that it wouldn't be nearly as easy to accomplish peace as they make it look in the show, and this is why. Let me know what you think, should I take this anywhere? Or should I just finish all the other stories I've been neglecting?**


End file.
